Key case



4 A. A. ZAROWIN 2,232,503

KEY CASE Filed April 12, 1940 INVENTOR. (Zlberl 6Z- Zarourzin g/071w IATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 18, 1941 KEY CASE Albert A. Zarowin, Brooklyn, N. Y.,assignor to S. at Z. Hooks Co. Ina/New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application April 12, 1940, Serial No. 329,265

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in key cases of the typeemploying hangers for securing one or more keys in a flexible folder,the improvements primarily residing in the. provision of a superiorsupport, one which is characterized by extreme simplicity ofconstruction and operation, as well as by marked economy in manufactureor production.

I'he support per se comprises a minimum of 1 three parts, a metallicblank, a key hanger, and a locking lever-it is completely devoid ofsprings and other intricate gadgets. A simple strip of metal isexpeditiously fashioned into a base with a pair of integral beads, onebead providing sockets for the key hanger and the other head serving toreceive the locking lever. Also the particular manner of manipulatingthe locking lever to free the hanger from its socket and the means forretaining the lever in locked position comprise additional featureswhich are distinctly novel in the art.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of theinvention- Fig, 1 is an elevational view of a developed blank from whichthe supporting plate is formed,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support showing the upper edgerolled over to present a pair of reversely disposed beads,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along lines o 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the retaining lever,

Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the key hangers,

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of my improved key hanger assemblyincorporated in a conventional case, the latter being in its openposition, and the lever and one hanger being illustrated in optionalpositions by dot and dash lines, and

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional elevation along lines 1-! of Fig. 6.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, 5 designates a sheet metalstrip or blank having its upper extremity provided with a plurality of45 transverse slots 6, open at their outer ends and extendingequidistantly into the body of the blank to form intermediateprojections or teeth I. All of the slots and projections coincideexcepting so two at one end, preferably, the right end, and at whichpoint it will be observed that a supplemental projection 8 is relativelyshorter than the others and that a pair of lugs 9 are disposed oppositeeach other on the opposing walls of pro- Jection 8 and the adjacentprojection l. The

base of the blankis formed with suitable eyelet openings I0.

At this stage of development the slotted extremity of the blank isbulged forwardly and outwardly to present a primary bead II, and coiled5 rearwardly and upwardly to form an ancillary bead l2.

As illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing each key hanger I3 comprisesvirtually a snap hook having a looped extremity I4, a shank I5 and anenlarged 10 head IS. The head is arranged to so engage any of slots 6 ofbead l I that the hanger may not only swing relatively to the head in asubstantially arc-like path, but may also swivel about an axis at rightangles to that about which they turn. 1

Through the ancillary bead It, a lever I! having a handle 18 is designedto be moved longitudinally so as to uncover slots 6 of the primary beadH and thereby permit the insertion or withdrawal of the head ii of thekey hanger l3.

. Handle I8 is deflected at right angles to the axis of the lever andwhen rotated to occupy the position shown by dot and dashlines in Fig, 6it may be slid in the appropriate direction free of projection 8 to openthe slots or sockets 6, in fact, the lever may, if preferred, be removedentirely from the slots; and then when the hangers carrying keys I9 havebeen introduced into the slots the lever is forced home and turneddownwardly to cause the handle I8 to enter slot 8 between 30 projectionsl and 8, and impelled further until it passes lugs 9 and is brought to aposition lying adjacent the face of the support-see full line showing oflever handle on Fig. 6. The handle is thus effectively and detachablylocked against accidental displacement by lugs 9.

I If desired, support 5 may be secured to a conventional case by meansof suitable eyelets 2B.

In its broader aspects my invention comprises not only the variou meansdescribed but equivalent means for performing the recited functions. Itis desired to reserve the right to afl'ect such modifications as maycome fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key holder support having a primary bead with a transverse slot, 9.key hanger provided with a shank which is freely movable in said slotand a head which normally is notmovable through said slot, an ancillarybead disposed within the confines of the primary bead, a lever mountedinthe latter bead and adapted to cover said slot to prevent passage ofsaid head therefrom, means to detachably lock said lever in operativeposition, 55

said lever being rotatable for releasing it and slidable to uncover theslot and permit the withdrawal of the head.

2. A key holder support having a primary bead with a transverse slot, akey hanger provided with a shank which is freely movable in said slotand a head which normally is not movable through said slot, an ancillarybead disposed within the confines of the primary bead, a lever mountedin the latter bead and adapted to cover said slot to prevent passage ofsaid head therefrom, means to detachably lock said lever in operativeposition, said lever being rotatable for releasing it and slidable to bewholly removable from the ancillary bead to permit withdrawal of thehead.

3. A key holder support having a primary bead and a pair of transverseslots, a key hanger provided with a shank which is freely movable in oneof said slots and a head which normally is not movable 'therethrough, anancillary bead disposed within the confines of the primary bead, a leverslidable longitudinally in the latter bead and adapted to cover saidlast-mentioned slot to prevent passage of said head therefrom, means todetachably lock said lever in operative position, said lever beingrotatable for releasing it and engagable between the walls of the otherslot to lock the same in position.

4. A key holder support having a primary bead and a pair of transverseslots, a key hanger provided with a shank which is freely movable in oneof said slots and a head which normally is not movable therethrough, anancillary bead disposed within the confines of the primary bead, a leverslidable longitudinally in the latter bead and adapted to cover saidlast-mentioned slot to prevent passage of said head therefrom, saidlever having a handle which is movable into the other slot for thepurpose of locking the lever against sliding movement, said lever beingrotatable for releasing it and slidable to permitthe withdrawal of thehead.

5..A key holder support comprising a strip of metal bent to form aprimary forwardly extending bead and an ancillary rearwardly disposed 'asupplemental projection spaced from the probead, said primary beadhaving a transverse slot,

a key hanger provided with a shank which is freely movable in said slotand a head which normally is not movable therethrough, a lever mountedin the ancillary bead and adapted to 6 normally cover said slot toprevent passage of the head therefrom, said lever being rotatable forreleasing it and longitudinally slidable to uncover the slot and permitwithdrawal of the head.

6. A key holder support, comprising a strip of 10 metal bent to form aprimary bead with a pair of transverse slots, lugs carried by theconfronting walls of one of said slots, a key hanger provided with ashank which is freely movable in the other slot and a head whichnormally is not movable l5 therethrough, an ancillary bead formedintegrally with the primary bead, a lever slidably mounted in the latterbead and adapted to cover the lastmentioned slot to prevent passage ofthe head therefrom, said lever being rotatable for releasing 20 it andhaving a handle which is detachably engageable between the lugs to lockthe same.

'7. In a key holder the combination of a strip of material having aprimary forwardly extending bead with an ancillary rearwardly disposedbead, said beads comprising a plurality of projections spaced from oneanother laterally by slots, the projection at one end of the pluralityof projections having a lug extending laterally therefrom,

jection having said lug, the latter projection being shorter in lengththan the other projections and devoid of an ancillary head, a lugextending from the supplemental projection opposite the firstmentionedlug, a key hanger having a shank freely movable in the slots between theplurality of projections and having a head not movable through saidslots, and a lever slidably mounted in the ancillary beads, said leverhaving a handle detachably engageable between said lugs to lock the samein operative position, said lever being rotatable to disengage itshandle from said lugs and slidable to uncover said slots to withdraw anyof said heads.

ALBERT A. ZAROWIN. 5

